Trial begins in 2019 Pacific Palisades shooting
Oct. 29—A jury trial got underway Friday for a man accused of shooting at three police officers during a standoff at his ex-girlfriend's Pacific Palisades home in 2019, asking the officers to take his life.
A jury trial got underway Friday for a man accused of shooting at three police officers during a standoff at his ex-girlfriend's Pacific Palisades home in 2019, asking the officers to take his life.
The 15-hour standoff with Wayman Kaua on Sept. 12, 2019, was reminiscent of an Oct. 29, 1998, hostage situation also involving Kaua at a nearby house on Waimano Home Road. Exactly 24 years ago today, Kaua held his wife and a female resident hostage during a 22-hour standoff with police, armed with a gun and dramatically bringing the women onto the balcony.
Kaua, 54, is being tried on first-degree attempted murder charges for allegedly shooting at the three police officers. In addition, he is charged with firearm and first-degree terroristic threatening charges against officers. If convicted, he faces a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
Deputy Public Defender Earl Aquino told jurors Kaua had dreams of building a life with his girlfriend, but the night before, she had told him on the phone she didn't want him coming over anymore, that "she was done."
He was hurt and wanted Sept. 12, 2019, to be "his last day on earth, " Aquino said Friday in his opening statement. "He wanted to die " but believed suicide was "the unforgivable sin, " so a distraught Kaua, with a shotgun muzzle to his chin, urged police officers, "Shoot me, shoot me."
Aquino said Kaua wanted his girlfriend of a few months "to be with him in these last few moments."
"That day, he finally felt there was nothing left, and he could do nothing but take a dramatic exit, " Aquino told jurors.
Kaua, sporting a salt-and-pepper ponytail and wearing a blue checked shirt in court, was 31 years old in 2000 when he was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 15 years for attempted manslaughter, holding a resident against her will and using a semi-automatic rifle.
Kaua's daughter told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser during the 2019 standoff that he had gotten out of prison six months earlier in March.
Three police officers, not the ones he allegedly shot at, testified Friday they saw Kaua holding the shotgun, initially facing it to the ground, then later pointing it at his chin, asking that they shoot him.
Officer Jonathan Frye, one of numerous officers at the scene, was the only one to open fire using his AR-15 rifle, striking Kaua twice in the back and once in the shoulder.
Deputy Prosecutor Scott Bell recounted the events of that day three years ago, beginning with the 911 calls before 9 a.m. of shots being fired in the vicinity of the ex-girlfriend's home at 2292 Apoepoe St., to Kaua's surrender after chemical munitions were fired twice beginning at 11 :40 p.m. to end the standoff.
Kaua initially went to the house demanding that her sister allow him to talk to his ex-girlfriend, Bell said. He then fired a shot into the air, then shot and shattered the back window of her Toyota Rav4 parked in front.
He drove off since the ex-girlfriend didn't come out and police didn't immediately arrive. After being followed by an officer, he returned to the house, came to a screeching halt, got out and begged police to shoot him. Officers ordered him to drop the gun, but he refused.
Bell said Kaua then went in and out of the garage, again urging police to shoot.
Three officers, positioned mauka of the house, could not see the makai side of the house.
He emerged from the second story, where his ex-girlfriend lived, and pointed his shotgun toward Frye's patrol car. Frye discharged a burst from his rifle, causing Kaua to withdraw into the house.
Frye fired another burst, Bell said. Then Kaua fired from the second floor and struck a police vehicle.
Bell said Kaua used a shortened-barrel 12-gauge shotgun, unregistered to anyone.
Police evidence specialists testified about numerous pieces of evidence recovered from the scene, including spent police rifle casings and Kaua's shotgun casings.
Aquino asked whether they were instructed to collect any buckshot, which would be evidence of where Kaua fired shots. They all said they were not instructed to do so.
Aquino described the scene inside the home, saying the ex-girlfriend was screaming after Kaua was shot, that he blacked out and that she walked out. Aquino said Kaua awoke to the ringing of her cellphone, and talked to his daughter and other relatives.
Patrol Officer Landon Mokiau said that he heard a scream from inside the house and the discharge of a shotgun, and that a woman came out who was "pretty hysterical."
All the patrol officers who testified Friday said they did not feel threatened by Kaua because he was at least 30 feet or more from them and did not point his weapon toward them.
Intermittent gunfire could be heard throughout the day from the house. Residents were told to remain indoors, and those who had gone out could not return home.
The 15-hour standoff paralyzed the community, as did the 1998 standoff, which lasted 22 hours.
The 1998 standoff ended when a police sharpshooter shot Kaua in the face as he held his wife at gunpoint. Kaua also held Victoria Bart as hostage, but allowed her to go free after 16 hours in exchange for food. He fired shots at police in the valley below and across the street.
In 1990 in yet another standoff with police, he threatened to shoot his son.
